"The Lafage 2011 Cotes du Roussillon Chimeres - a blend, as usual, of Grenache and Syrah with a bit of Carignan - is pungently redolent of marjoram, fennel and sage; cherry and red raspberry; black pepper and crushed stone. Hints of vanilla, caramel, and brown spices from the exposure to new 500 liter barrels during fermentation and the long cold-soak that precedes it (techniques common to most of Lafage-s reds insofar as they aren-t tank-raised) are nicely restrained and integrated. Palpably dense and satin-textured, this develops a marvelously mouthwatering savor of salted roasted meat pan-scrapings en route to a finish of impressive length. Plan to enjoy such an amazing value through at least 2017."

"For the most recent vintages I have tasted from his Maury estate, Jean-Marc Lafage has tended to extend fermentations a bit longer than before, but to work the cap less - very little in fact - so as to achieve gentler extraction and ultimately more finesse. Toward that end, the admixture of fruit grown in relatively cool Lesquerde and Saint Paul de Fenouillet may well also have proven useful. (The fermentative regiment for some of these wines - as for the more expensive reds under Lafage's own label - involves unorthodoxies detailed in my review below of his 2012 "Mas Cayrol" bottling as well as in various places in this report's and other's accounts of Domaine Lafage wines.)"

Jeb Dunnuck - The Rhone Report:

"A joint venture between Jean-Marc Lafage and Importer Eric Solomon, the 2011 Chateau Saint-Roch Cotes du Roussillon Villages Chimeres comes from 100-105 year old vines and is a mix of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Carignan that spent 8 to 12 months in a combination of 500-Liter barrels and concrete vats. A deep, fleshy, and rich effort, it has copious black fruits, melted licorice, distilled herbs, and chocolate like aromas and flavors that flow to a full-bodied, impressively pure 2011 that has layers of fruit, solid mid-palate depth, and a chewy, rich finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. Turning more elegant and red fruit driven with air, this knockout effort is already approachable and delicious. Enjoy bottles over the coming 4-6 years, possibly longer." (03/13)

Winery:
"Recently purchased by Jean Marc Lafage, Chateau Saint Roch is located in the Maury Area of the Agly Valley, which is 15 miles from Perpignan and the Mediterranean Sea. The castle of Queribus, built by the Cantharis, at the top of the steep Corbieres Mountain watches over the vineyards from the north. Each plot is now surrounded by black berry bushes, fig trees, pomegranate trees, cherry trees, carob trees, oaks, as well as fields of thyme, lavender and fennel.
The soil of the hills is made up of schiste clay with a limestone base and their altitudes vary between 120 to 370 meters. The wind, called here the "Tramontane", circulates in this corridor between Fenouilledes and Corbieres. The southern Catalan sun takes advantage of the refractive qualities of the schist from this ancient icy plateau to give St Roch its unique light." - Importer